Common Low Carb Diets

Tuesday, February 21st, 2012 at 5:35 pm

Common Low Carb Diets

It’s no secret that Atkins was the first widely published low carb diet, but since then, many more well-liked low carb diets have hit the scene. Let’s cover some of those and highlight their main points.

Atkins Diet

Since Atkins was the first, it only makes sense to cover it first. It received, and still does, a lot of controversy as being unhealthy. However, many people have followed the plan since it came out over 20 years ago and still live a healthy lifestyle. Diets that work best are ones based on our fundamental metabolic processes and this diet is exactly that – based on avoiding the negative impacts of carbohydrate metabolism.

Atkins is a four phase diet plan. You start with Induction and stay on it for a minimum of two weeks. During this phase your carb intake is extremely limited to 20 grams per day. This is one of the main reasons that so many people find it hard to stick to. However, if 30 grams per day is as low as you feel comfortable with, then stick with it. All low carb plans help you lose weight. The following clip is from Jimmy Moore – on his intro to the Atkins Diet.

The next phase of Atkins is Ongoing Weight Loss or what’s been termed as OWL. During this phase you add a few more grams of carbs. This phase also allows a few more food choices too. If you stop losing weight during this phase you will want to cut back on your carb intake again.

The other two stages are Pre-Maintenance and Lifetime Maintenance. Each phase helps you design an eating plan that will keep you from gaining the weight back.

The purpose of Atkins and its four phases is to allow you to lose weight steadily but it also helps you decide how many carbs you can consume (the Lifetime Maintenance Phase) without losing or gaining weight. Once you have reached your desired goal, you will be able to stay on the Lifetime Maintenance plan because you will know your carb limit.

South Beach Diet

The South Beach diet is popular. Perhaps it gained popularity with celebrities due to its name plus its basis on the low carb diet plan. It’s more lenient than the Atkins plan and is based more on the glycemic index of foods.

South Beach is a 3 phase diet plan, with Phase 1 being the most strict. This diet is about choosing the right carbs and teaching you how to eat. For instance, if you plan to eat a high carb meal, make sure to eat plenty of fiber with it or take a fiber supplement. This will help you digest the carbs much slower.

The other part of teaching you how to eat is to make sure your diet is balanced and that each meal contains protein, healthy fats, fiber and carbs.

The Zone Diet

The premise behind the Zone Diet is that it is low carb, of course, but according to its creator, you are in the “zone” when you are relaxed yet alert. Its goal is not only for the body but for the mind too.

The plan is to eat balanced meals with 40 percent coming from carbohydrates, 30 percent coming from protein sources and 30 percent fats. Dr. Barry Sears, the creator, believes this plan helps control insulin production. This diet does not induce ketosis like Atkins, but claims that it also keeps your liver healthy with maintaining adequate glycogen storage.

There are many low carb plans out there. Be sure to research them all to find which best fits your needs and one that you are most likely to stick with. No diet will work if you don’t have a plan that allows you to enjoy eating foods you like.

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Joe Lindley